Printing machine



Feb. 3, 1931.

W. T. GOLLWITZER ET AL PRINTING MACHINE Filed April 12, 1927 sheets-sheet 1 Feb; 3, 1931. w. GOLLWIV'II'ZER ET AL PRINTING MACHINE Fild April 12, 192"? 15 sh et-$51198; 2

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PRINTING MACHINE Filed April 12'. 1927' 15 Shoots-Sheet '3 lllllllll T Illlllllll; Illlllllllf lll Feb. 3, 1931. w. T. GOLLWITZER ET AL.

PRINTING MACHINE Filed April 12, 1927 15 Sheets-Sheet 4 Feb. 3, 1931. w. T. GOLLWlTZER ET AL 1,790,661

PRINTING MAHINE Filed April 1 1927 15 Sheets-Sheet 5 Feb. 3, 1931. w. T. GOLLWITZ ER ET AL 5 PRINTING MACHINE Filed April 12. 19.27 15 shets-sneet s Feb. 3, 1931. w. "r. GOLLWITZIIER ET AL PRINTING MACHINE Filed April 12, 1927 15 Sheets-Sheet 7 Feb. 3. 1931. w. T. GOLLWITZER ET AL 1,799,651

PRINTING MACHINE Filed p l .1927 15 Sheets-Sheet s 1931. w. r. GOLLWITZER ETAL.

PRINTlNG' MACHINE Filed A ril 12. 1927 15 Sheets-Sheet 9 Feb. 3, 1931. w. T. GOLLWITZER ET AL 1,

PRINTING MACHINE 15' Sheets-Sheet 10 1\ i 5 W m/ & Q n aw m H NM. M JN w mm awn 5w 1 r 1 m Nb 9. k. I W u M Rn RNWMN w 5 \km 3 Filed April 12, 192:?

will) Feb. 3, 1931, w. T. soLLwlTzER ET AL PRINTING MACHINE Y Filed April 12, 1927 15 s t' s t 1 izz/62225715 Feb. 3, 1931. w. T. GOLLWITZER ET AL PRINTING MAHInE Filed April 12. 1927 15 SheetsSh eet l2 Jizaezz 07 2 %j i, 2'

Feb. 3, 1931. w. T. GOLLWVITZER ET AL 1,790,651

PRINTING MACHINE Filed April 12 1927 15 Sheets-Sheet 15 Feb. 3, 1931. w. T. G'OLLWITZER ET AL 1,790,551

PRINTING MACHINE I Filed April 12, 1927 '15 Sheets-Sheet l4 Feb. 3 1931 w. T. GQLLWITZER ET AL PRINTING MACHINE Filed April 12, 1927 15 Sheets-Sheet l5 Patented Feb. 3, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WALTER '1. GOLI'IWITZEB D HENRY E. HUBBARD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSI GNORS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO ADDRESSOGRAPH COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A

CORPORATION OF DELAWARE 'rnnvrmo macnmn Application filed April 12,

vide a compact and eflicient machine of sub stantial but relatively simple construction for printing, in successive operations, from a single body form and successively changing address forms, selected for printing according to a predetermined classification, to pro-. duce individually addressed letters having the same body.

The invention also has for a primary object to simplify and improve a machine of this type so that the several groups of mechanism, including the paper feed, the address feed, theribbon feed, and the platen will be correlated in a simple manner to operate automatically each with respect to the others and so that all of these groups must work together, and none of them will work to accomplish its intended function if any one becomes inoperative.

More particularly the invention has for'its objects to provide simple, efficient and automatic means whereby theaddress feed, the ribbon feed, and the platen will become ineffective to perform their intended functions if for any reason a sheet of paper is not fed to the machine, or is not properly fed to the machine; whereby a sheet will not be carried to printing position, and the ribbon feed and the platen will not operate to perform their intended functions, without an address device predetermined to be printed; for causing a carriage to carry a sheet'over the form to impression position in the machine for every address device predetermined for printing, and performing the impression operation on the return movement of the carriage; for automatically cont-rolling the operation of the several groups ofmechanism so that they will properly coordinate to perform or not to perform their respective functions; and generally to.make the machine sensitive and positive in operation and so that it can operate at a relatively high rate of speed with all of its parts and groups of mechanism functioning automatically in the manner and for the purpose'herein described.

In the accompanying drawings we have illustrated a selected embodiment of the invention and ref thereto;

Fig. 1 is an elevation, partly in section of 1927. Serial No. 183,048.

the front of the machine which is where sheets of paper are fed into the machine.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view, partly in section, showing the carriage just beginning its return movement which is the printing impression movement.

Fig. 3 is a further enlarged view showing a portion of the carriage in initial position and a part of the ribbon mechanism. 7

Fig. 3a shows an edge View and a plan view of the sheet safety finger.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged front elevation, partly in section, showing the operating mechanism at the left of the front of the machine.

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the carriage showing parts of the frame in section.

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view through the carriage on the line aa of Fig. 2 showing the parts in position just before the sheet is clamped between the feed roller and the platen roller.

Fig. 7 is a detail elevationof the right end of the carriage in its'initial position.

Fig. 8 is a detail view partly in section showing one end of the platen roller.

Fig. 9 is a detail elevation of the rear of the machine showing the right end of the carriage at the end of its forward movement.

Fig. 10 is a transverse. sectional view through the carriage on the line a-.b of Fig.

2 showing the parts in initial position with on the line a-d of FigJ2 showing the parts at the limit of the forward movement of the carriage with the platen roller depressed to printing position.

Fig. 13 1s a sectional view through the carriageshowing the parts just before they are tripped to clamp the sheet between the pres sure roller and the platen.

Fig. 14 is a transverse sectional view on the line ae of Fig. 2 showing the parts of the in roller has been moved to press the sheet against the platen roller.

position after the pressure Fig. 15 is a. section on the line H showing the parts of the carriage in position shown in Fig. 14. Y

Fig. 16 is a detail-:plan view showing a sheet improperly positioned, crooked or biased relative to the sheet guides. 1

Fig. 17 is an enlarged sectional. view' on the line 1717 of Fig. 16 and showing a sheet just engaged with the sheet safety finger.

Fig. 18 is a similar view, showing some additional parts and the sheet gripped against the feed roll.

.Fig. 19 is a detail view of the gripper shaft controlrocker. I

Fig. 20 is a sectional view showing' a position of the sheet and the sheet control finger intermediate of Figs. 17 and 18.

Fig. 21 is an enlarged detail sectional view showing the gripper and its supporting and operating parts.

Fig. 22 is a detail section on the line 22-22 of Fig. 20.

Fig. 23 is a detail section on line 2323 of Fig. 22.

Figs. 24, 25 and 26 show in different positions the devices for controlling the operation of the address feed, the ribbon feed, the platen and the paperfeed on the machine.

Fig. 27 is. a detail perspective view of the devices which operate the selector mechanism. I

Fig. 28 is a detail view on a reduced scale of a part of the address feed drive devices.

Referring to the drawings 1 designates generally the machine frame and 2 is th bed for a fixed printing form 3, Fig. 6. printing device 4, Fig. 1, bearing an address or other form is arranged to be supported in printing position adjacent the fixed printing form upon an anvil or auxiliary bed,

to print through an ink ribbon 5 upon asheet 6 which is fed to the machine manually or mechanically, as desired, and then is fed or carried through the machine to printing 1 position by mechanical means hereafter detill scribed. The address or changeable printing deviceset are arranged in a stack in a magazine 7, Fig. 1. and these devices are fed one at a time from the bottom of the stack to printing position adjacent the fixed printing form 3, and are disposed in any suitable manner after the printing operation is completed, for example, by returning them to the storage tray or drawer.

The mechanism forfeeding the address devices to printing position need only be shown and described generally in this apnlication because the invention, insofar as it relates to the address device, has to do with the control rather than with the specific conJruction of the feed mechanism. This mechanism comprises a. slide 8 Fig. 1,

classification. We have shown the machine which operates the selector dogs 9 and the r 11' which is pivotally connected at its other end to the slide 8. p

This feed mechanism is arrangedto operate regularly and continuously while the .machine is in operation to feed address devices one at a time from the bottom of the stack in the magazine to printing. position. v

It is desired to classify the address devices according to some predetermined classification and for this purpose the devices are provided with removable index tabs. Sometimes it is desired to print only from those address devices in one or more selected classifications, and for this purpose selector mechanism is provided in the machine whereby a complete printing operation is only performed with an address device in the-selected classification.

All the address devices in the magazine'will the machine will only functionto perform the printing operation with address devices automatically selected. The address devices must be fed in regular order to maintain their position in the classification system, but a sheet must not be carried into printing position for any address not to be printed because it would not receive an impression, the platen must not be lowered into printing position because it would take ink from the ribbon and smear the next sheet, and the ribbon must 1 not be fed because it would bring too much fresh ribbon into printing position and produce an ununiform impression. Selector mechanism which may be used satisfactorily is covered by Patent No. 1,503,882 and may having a plurality of openings to receive one or more selector pins 15, The selector pins,

.one or more, are arranged in the bar in position to co-operate with the tabs, on the address'devices, and the machine may be set to tab print, which means that all of the address devices with certain tab classification will print, or it may be set to skip tab print, which means that all the address devices will print except those which have certain tab I in the drawings set to skip. tab print. At the end of the return movement of the address device feed mechanism,-to the left in Fig. 1, which is at the end of the return movement of the carriage and platen to initial position. the selector dogs 9 engage the lowermost address device in the magazine and push it a little to the left. If the machine is set to tab print the selector pin will be positioned to be engaged by the tabs of those address devices which it is desired to print and when such a device is engaged by the selector dogs 9 its tab will engage-the selector pin and swing the selector frame to the left to cause the parts to function, if a sheet has been properly fed to impression position, in

a complete printing operation. If the machine is set to skip tabprint, the selector pins will be positioned to co-operate with the tabs ofall of those address devices which it is desired not to print and these devices, as well address device not to be printed will be run through the machine just as if it were to be printed, but the operation of the other parts of the machine will be temporarily suspended.

The arms 11 and 12 of the'address device feed rocker are connected by a web 13', Figs.

4, 28 and the arm 12 carries a block 12' which is arranged in'the pathof a pawl 16 pivoted at 16 on a drive rocker 17 which is rigidly secured on the shaft 13 by a pin 17 An angle link 18, Fig. 1, is pivotally connected at one end to the rocker 17 and at its other end to an arm 18 rigid on a shaft which carries a bevel segment pinion 19 meshing with a bevel segment gear 20. Power is communicated to the machine through a drive rod 21 which is pivotally connected to one arm 21' of a bell crank lever whose hub 21" is loosely mounted on the fixed shaft 20', Fig. 1. The other arm 22 of the bell crank lever projects upward and is arranged to be engaged by a pawl 22' on the lever 23 which is pivotally mounted on the fixed shaft 20' and is connected at its upper end to the carriage frame 24 to reciprocate the carriage. lever 23 carries the segment gear 20. When the pawl 22 is engaged with the lever arm 22 motion'will be communicated to the carriage drive lever 23, to the drive rocker 17 and to the printing device .feed rocker 11, 12, and also to other parts of the machine to be described. When the pawl 22' is dis engaged from the lever arm 22 the machine will be at rest except for the bell crank lever 21', 22 and other parts on the power side of the pawl 22. -The angle link 18 rocks the drive rocker 17 and the pawl 16' engages the block 12', on the movement of the drive rocker to the left, Figs. 1, 4, and swings the address device feed rocker to the left. The

drive rocker is offset at 1 to form a projection which engages the block 12' on the rearward movement of the drive rocker to move the printing device feed rocker to the right, Figs. 14, and during the latter'movement an address device is fed by the feed dogs The pivot end of the 10 forward from beneath the stack to print- I ing position.

The carriage 24 is provided with carrying rollers 25 which travel in ways 25? in the frame of the machine and this carriage may be reciprocated automatically by the drive lever 23, as before described, or manually by means of the handle 24;. A flange '26 on the frame of the machine projects into an elongated groove 26 in the top of the carriage to;

maintain the carriage in proper position in its travel, Figs. 1. 2. A platen,roller 27 is provided at its ends with grooved rollers 27', Figs. 2, 8 all carried by a shaft 27", Fig. 6 which is mounted to slide airially in the arms of supporting rockers, Figs. 2, 7, 9, pivotally mounted on the carriage frame at each end thereof. The other arms 28 of these rockers are arranged in opposition to fixed stops 29 on the carriage frame, Fig. 7, and co1npression springs 29 are interposed between the free ends of the arms 28 and the stops 29. The platen is normally held elevated out ofimpression position by the springs 25) which are attached to the rocker arms 28, Fig. 7. Flanged thrust rollers 30, Figs. 2, S, engage the grooved rollers 27' on the platen roller and are carried by a shaft 30" which is connected by toggle links 30" with toggle arms 31' on the platen roller rocker 31. 'This' rocker is pivotally mounted in the carriage frame and its arms .31 engage links 30" to move shaft 30' and its flanged rollers 30 back and forth in a substantially horizontal plane from the position shown in Fig. 10 where the platen roller is elevated above the printv ing form, to the position shown in Fig. 12,

where the platen roller-is in position to operatively engage and make an impression from the printing form. A stop 31", Fig. 2, has arms projecting above and below the rocker 31 to engage the carriage frame and limit the movement of the rocker.

A rock frame 32 carries the feed roller and is pivoted at .32" on the carriage frame, Fig. 7. The roller 33, is mounted on an arm 33' on the platen roller rocker 31, Figs. 2, 10 and this roller is adapted to engage a cam 34 fastened on the main frame at a position corresponding to the initial position of this carriage, and also to engage a stop 34' in the form of a slide bolt on the main frame at a position corresponding to the forward limit of travel of the carriage, Fig. 12. In the forward travel of the platen roller over the form from initial position it is held in elevated )osition, Fig. 10, but at the limit of this forward travel the roller 33 engages the stops 34', Fig. 12, straightens the toggles 30", 31, shifts the thrust rollers 30 to the left, Fig. .10, and depresses the platen into impression position,

with the platen roller, with the sheet 6 clamped therebetween, Fig. 14. But it is de sired to hold the feed roller. away from the platen roller during the entire forward movement of the carriage while the carriage is carrying a sheet into position above the form.

It will be understood that it is on the return movement of the carriage that the sheet is 7 operation.

clamped between the feed roller and the platen roller and is fed by the platen roller by frictional contact therewith during the printing A roller on the feed roller rock frame 32 travels up a fixed cam 35 on the frame of the machine at the initial position of the carriage which is when itis at the front of the machine, looking at Fig. 1 and this engagement of the roller with the cam swings the feed roller rock frame and carries the feed roller 32 away from the platen roller 27, Fig. 10. As the carriage proceeds on its forward travel and'the'roller 35 rides down the cam 35 from the position shown in Fig. 10 to that shown in Fig. 11 the springs 32" pull the feed roller'32 towards the platen roller, but contact of the feed roller with the platen roller is prevented at this time by engagement of the latch pawl 36 with the stop 36' on the carriage frame, which occurs at or about the time the roller reaches the bottom of the cam 35', Fig.'11 At this time the sheet 6 is clamped against the feed roller 32, by the gripper 37, which is carried by the free ends of spring arms 37 secured on the gripper shaft 377 which is mounted in the feed roller rock frame 32, Fig. 18.

In the embodiment of the invention herein shown, there is one elongated gripper 37 and there are three spring arms 37', the purpose of using several spring arms being to apply the spring pressure evenly throughout the length of the gripper upon the sheet. ,The gripper has slots 38 to receive the screws 38 by which the gripper is guided in its up and down movement on the feed roller rock frame.

A spring 39 attached at one endto the feed roller rock frame and at its other end to the gripper tends to hold the gripper normally in elevated position, Fig. 15. One end of the gripper shaft 37" is bent at right angles'to form a lever arm 37", which is ar-v ranged to engage a pin 40, Figs. 3, 18, in the gripper. shaft control: rocker 40, which is mounted on the pin 41 rigid on the main carriage.

frame of the machine and between the adjusting nuts 41' and the compression spring 41". The spring 39 holds the lever arm 37" in inclined position, Figs. 14, 15, during the return movement of the carriage and when the carriage reaches the-limit of its return movement the lever arm 37' engages the pin 40 and the gripper shaft 37 is swung to to the limit of theforward movement of the The gripper is held in clamped position during theforward travel of the carriage by an adjustable arm 41 rigidly mounted on the gripper shaft 37 Fig. 10,

which is engaged with a pawl 42 pivotally mounted on thefeed roller rock frame 32.

The arm 41 is capable of being adjusted by the screws 41 on the gripper shaft 32' tovary the clamping pressure of the gripper on the sheet.

The sheet may be fed manually or automatically to the position shown in Fig. 17 while the carriage is returningto initial position and this sheet is clamped by the gripper against the feed roller as the carriage reaches the end of its return movement. Then the carriage carries the sheet across the printing form to the limit of its forward movement and also for a limited distance on its return movement depending upon the width of the margin desired at the left edge of the sheet. This is determined by a margin stop or gauge 43 which is adjustably mounted on the main frame of the machine, Fig. 13. A release pawl 44 is pivotally mounted on the latch pawl 36 and is held by spring 44' in position to engage the margin gauge stop 43 on the return movement of the carriage. On the forward movement of the carriage the pawl 44 rides under the gauge stop 43. The spring 44' also serves to hold the latch pawl 36 in engagement with the pin 36". When the pawl 44 engages the gauge stop 43 the latch pawl 36 will be disengaged from the pin 36', Figs. 13, 14, permitting the feed roller rock frame to swing on its pivot, lowering the pawl 44 to pass beneath the stop guide and carrying the feed roller into operative relation to the platen roller to clanrp thesheet therebetween.

At the time the sheet is clamped between the feed roller and the platen roller the gripper is released from engagement with the sheet. This is accomplished by a pin 45 rigidly mounted on the pawl 42, Figs. 12, 13 which is arranged to engage an adjustable screw stop 45 mounted on the carriage from the pin 36 to release the feed roller rock frame and permit it toswing the feed roller into operative relation to the platen roller the pin is swung into engagement with the screw stop l5 to release the pawl 42 from the arm ll, thus permitting the spring 39 to lift the gripper. This disengagement of the gripper occurs as nearly as possible simultaneously with the clamping of the sheet by the feed roller against the platen. When 'the carriage returns to initial position the arm 37 engages the pin 4:0 and lowers the gripper to grip the next sheet against the feed roller.

Provision is made on the machine for a margin of maximum width, but ordinarily a narrower margin will be used and consequently the carriage must travel a limited distance determined by the position of the margin stop before the sheet is clamped between the feed roller and the platen roller.

But the platen roller is lowered into impression position at the end of the forward movement of the carriage and during this limited travel to the margin gauge the sheet is being backed over the form and the platen roller rolls on the pressure plate 46 which is provided on the mainframe of the machine alongside of the printing form to receive the platen roller throughout the travel of the carriage for the maximum margin width, Figs. 1215. Any suitable means may be employed for holding the pressure plate yieldingly in position to receive the platen roller, such as a spring 46. The function of the pressure plate is to cause the platen roller to revolve so that it will be in revolution at the time the sheet is clamped against it by the feed roller; and thereafter on the continuation of the return movement of the carriage the platen roller travels over the sheet and feeds the sheet under the platen roller and makes a printing impression. on the sheet, the feed roller 32 functioning as a pressure roller to clamp the sheet against the platen roller so that the latter may feed the sheet as the carriage proceeds on its return travel by frictional contact with the sheet. As the carriage travels in its forward movement carrying a new sheet over the form automatic means (not shown) may be provided to re move the printed sheet from the machine.

As the invention is embodied in this machine the platen roller travels lengthwise of the lines of type in the form andit is desir-- able to vary the position of the surface of the platen roller relative to the form to prevent the lines of type from wearing grooves in the surface of the platen roller. In Patent No. 1,623,396. April 5, 1927, provision is made for shifting the platen roller and its carriage axially of the platen roller, but in the present 'machine the platen roller is shifted relative to its carriage. The grooved rollers 27 are rigid with the platen roller on its shaft 27 and this shaft is freely movable in the supers 3'? to the platen roller.

porting rocker arms 28, Figs. 2, 9. The toggle links 30" on the shaft 30 carrying the flanged rollers 30 are engaged with the toggle arms 31 on the platen roll rocker. The flanged rollers 30 engage the grooved rollers 27 and a longitudinal movement of the platen'roll rocker 31 will cause an axial movement of the platen roller. This longitudinal move-- 47 will be communicated through the roller.

49 to the platen roll rocker and thence through the toggle arms 31' and links 30 to the shaft 30' and thence through the fiangerollers 30 and the grooved roll- The cam sleeve 47" is revolve d intermittently by a ratchet 50 on the sleeve and a pawl 50 on the rocker. The platen roll rocker functions to raise and lower the platen roller and in its rocking movement the pawl and ratchet function to feed the sleeve intermittently. A pin 51 on the pawl 50 rides on a cam 51 rigid with the carriage frame and the cam is shaped topermit the pawl to engage the ratchet only duringa portion of the rocking movement or stroke of the platen rocker to confine the revolving movement of the cam sleeve 47 to one tooth of the ratchet 50 which is less than the full movement of the rocker.

The ribbon 5 is mounted on a tension spool 52 and is stretched across the form and en'- gaged with a takeup spool 52', Fig. 1, both spools being suitably mounted in the' ma chine. A ratchet 53 is mounted on a stub shaft 53' which is loosely supported in the frame of the machine to drive the takeup spool. Fig. 25. A feed pawl 54 is pivoted on one arm of a rocker 54 which is loosely mounted on the stub shaft 53'. A locking pawl 55 is pivoted on the frameof the ma? chine, Fig. 4, and engages the ratchet to prevent reverse movement of the takeup spool. A spring 54"normally holds the feed pawl in engagement with the ratchet and a spring 55 normally holds the lockingpawl in en v gagement with the ratchet. A rod 56 is connected at its upper end to another arm of the rocker 54' and at its lower end to one end of a lever 57 which is pivoted at 57' on the frame of the machine. The other end of the lever 57 is apertured to receive a rod 58 which is engaged at its lower end with an arm 58' 

